Zamyatin’s little-known dystopian novel We influenced Ayn Rand, George Orwell, and Aldous Huxley; unlike them, he had no model to emulate. Zamyatin wrote We in 1921. The Benefactor, the sole ruler, assigns numbers to citizens. Society uses pure mathematics as a religion.Thus, the novel reflects the influence of Logical Positivism prevalent at the time. In the novel, groups and individuals are referred to as “ciphers” or “unifs.”
The novel is a series of journal entries by engineer I-503. He hopes it will reach people of the future and that they can learn from it. I-503 is building a spaceship called The Integral.
In One State, citizens live under strict regulations governed by mathematical principles, and their lives are meticulously planned. Everyone is identified by numbers rather than names, and private emotions or relationships are discouraged. The society prioritizes uniformity and communal existence over individuality.
As D-503 prepares for the construction of the spaceship Integral, he begins to experience feelings for I-330, a rebellious woman who introduces him to a world of passion and individual thought. Through his relationship with her, D-503 starts to question the values of One State and his own existence within it.
As the narrative unfolds, D-503 grapples with the tension between the collective ideals of One State and his emerging desire for personal freedom. His journey culminates in a conflict between loyalty to the state and his newfound individuality, exploring themes of oppression, love, and the human spirit’s struggle against conformity.
About Zamyatin
Zamyatin was imprisoned twice: once as a Bolshevik for concealing explosives in his apartment. After completing his sentence, the Soviets exiled Zamyatin. After a few years, he returned to Russia in disguise, settled in a small provincial town, and began writing fiction. One of his works, titled “At the World’s End,” brought him renewed fame. It also landed him again in hot water.